A Dallas ISD student has started an online petition urging Superintendent Mike Miles to give teachers a raise and to reverse the teaching requirements that have zapped classrooms of creativity.
The petition by Lara Andree, a junior at Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School, wrote that Miles’ policies make classroom no longer “a creative and mentally stimulating environment.” Andree criticizes the new weekly lesson plans DISD teachers are supposed to put together.
“Instead of allowing our teachers to be creative, and build hands-on lessons that encourage all level of students to feel included and inspired to learn, the lesson plans have become a burden to teachers and force them to stick to certain content and timelines to ensure all material is covered,” she wrote.
She wrote that, over the years, class sizes have gotten bigger, there’s less one-on-one time with teachers and her mentors in DISD have left the district. Andree said that teachers deserve a raise and shouldn’t have their salaries determine by the new performance-pay plan called the Teacher Excellence Initiative.
The petition had 223 signatures as noon Wednesday.
Julius Mwangi, who signed the petition, wrote: “The fact that DISD student can see that something is wrong and are willing to advance for a change that DISD adults have ignored is incredible. These children can see anxiety in the teachers, who besides teaching also have a life and bills to pay.”